Stopping Hunger with Summer Meals

When classes let out in June, children who depend on school breakfasts and lunches are at risk of going hungry. End Hunger Connecticut! leads a statewide campaign to prevent this suffering by helping schools keep cafeterias open and offering free meals throughout the summer.

“We work with the school districts to make sure they can offer the meal programs in a sustainable way so they aren’t there one day and gone the next,” says End Hunger Connecticut! Chief Strategy Officer Shannon Yearwood.

While the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture funds the summer meals program, a big effort on the ground is needed to not only prepare and serve the food, but also advertise the program to families who would benefit. The recent Summer Meals Blitz Day brought out volunteer canvassers to neighborhoods throughout New Haven.

“The best way to do this work is to have a strong word of mouth. We are talking in the neighborhoods and handing out information about where families can bring their kids,” says Yearwood.

New Haven’s free summer meals program is the state’s largest, with ninety sites planned for this summer. In addition to serving breakfast, lunch and dinner at schools, the New Haven Public Schools has a fleet of vans and food trucks that deliver food to parks and playgrounds.

No proof of income or ID is necessary for the summer meals program, but the meals must be eaten on site.